Your questions answered – Mission Congress FAQs

There has been a buzz about the upcoming Mission Congress hosted in Trinidad and Tobago on September 17 – September 22. We thought of some questions you might want answered!

Who is the AEC?

The Antilles Episcopal Conference of Bishops is an assembly of Bishops located within the Caribbean that faithfully serve the peoples of their Arch/Diocese in a manner which proclaims the truth of the Gospel. Nineteen territories make up the AEC and there is a total of 19 Bishops. The Assembly allows Bishops to work together to help and support each member of the conference in his mandate to build the Kingdom of God. Visit http://aecbishops.org/ to learn more about our bishops of the Antilles.

Why an AEC Mission Congress?

Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, is calling for an extraordinary Mission month in October 2019. The AEC Bishops wanted to respond to this request by hosting the first ever Congress in the AEC region with the desire to call the whole Church to mission.

AEC Bishops, Archbishop Jason Gordon, Bishop Gabriel Malzaire and Bishop Clyde Harvey are some of the bishops lined up to speak at the 2019 Mission Congress

What is meant by “called to Mission”?

For Catholics in particular, Mission is the term given to those particular undertakings by which the heralds of the Gospel, sent out by the Church and going forth into the whole world, carry out the task of preaching the Gospel and planting the Church among peoples or groups who do not yet believe in Christ. It is essentially evangelization wherever you are.

Why is Mission so important?

Because evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity! The Church exists in order to Evangelize – to say, to preach, to be the channel of the gift of grace, to reconcile sinners with God. (St Paul VI)

How will attending the Congress impact on my life?

To help build your faithfulness and understanding of the mission of evangelizing communications to the people of the Caribbean today. We all need to have a missionary spirit, one that is built upon participation, dialogue, collaboration, speaking to the heart, soul and religious imagination of our Antillean people. We need a new way of being Church!

What is the theme and what does it mean?

Baptised and Sent: The Church of Christ on Mission in the World. Pope Francis is reminding all Catholics that by virtue of their baptism, they have been called to full active participation in the Church.

7. I don’t just want to be an attendee, how can I also volunteer my time, talent and treasure?

The AEC Congress is looking for host families, musicians, facilitators, recorders and much more. To support, you can send an email to aecmissioncongress@gmail.com

8. How can I prepare for the Mission Congress?

Check your nearest parish for a copy of the AEC booklet, Baptised and Sent or visit the website for an online copy. Reflections are present in the booklet which you can engage individually or as a group

9. Where can I get more information on the workshops, talks, and rallies?